


Jealous Jukebox

by Hotdog_Willie



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV 2020)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, First Kiss, Jealousy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-13 06:14:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29646984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hotdog_Willie/pseuds/Hotdog_Willie
Summary: Luke and Julie both find themselves jealous when the other starts clicking with other people.
Relationships: Julie Molina/Luke Patterson
Comments: 2
Kudos: 55





	Jealous Jukebox

**Author's Note:**

> So after months of talking to my friends nonstop about jatp and them telling me to write fanfic I finally found inspiration consistently at midnight every night for like a week straight. This is like the first thing I've ever written so I’m really sorry if it's bad 🙈 This was also written mostly in notes on my phone and then later typed while I was in an online class so if there are mistakes feel free to point them out in the comments.

After the big group hug the band decided they would cuddle up on the couch and watch a movie before Julie had to go to bed. They could have discussed their set list for their next gig on friday, that Julie told them Flynn had gotten for them, but they decided they would rather watch a movie instead. It was definitely the right choice considering Reggie and Alex were asleep by the time the movie ended. They had found out they could sleep now when Alex fell asleep during the first 10 minutes of the movie but Luke wanted to spend as much time as possible cuddled up with Julie in case this was a 1 time thing and the ability would be gone in the morning.

Julie got up and turned off the movie just as Ray called her in for bed. Julie and Luke said their good nights and one final hug in case they couldn't in the morning and she went to bed. 

When Luke was about to turn off the light and go to sleep for the first time in 25 years, he heard a noise out in the bushes. It was very quiet and at first and he thought he imagined it so he ignored it and turned off the light. But he heard the sound again and this time he was sure there was someone hiding in the bushes next to the studio. He decided that waking up Alex was his best option in case the person in the bushes was Willie. But also because if it wasn't Willie, Alex has more of a rational mind than Luke and would handle the situation much better.

“Alex, wake up,” he whispered while shaking his friend’s shoulder.

“Hmm?” he groaned in his sleep.

“Come on Alex, wake up!” he said louder. “I think there’s someone out in the bushes. It could be Willie!”

After hearing that, Alex shot up off the couch. His head swiveling back and forth looking for the ghost he hadn't seen since that morning. 

“What? Where?” Alex practically shouted, somehow not waking Reggie up.

“Outside. I heard someone move in the bushes,” his voice slightly cracking as if he was scared. He tried to convince himself that he was not scared. ‘Your a GHOST! You shouldn’t be scared, it's not like you could die AGAIN.’ as the thought crossed his mind, he shivered. ‘What if it's Caleb. What if he knows we were not destroyed by his jolts and came to finish the job?’ Now there was no doubt in his mind that waking Alex up was the best decision. If it is Caleb, none of them should be facing him alone.

“Okay, let's go check it out,” his voice full of hope that Willie is the one hiding in the bushes.

They walked out of the studio cautiously and turned towards the bushes. 

“Hello?” the both said at the same time. “Is anybody there?” Luke continued.

A girl stood up from where she was hiding. She looked around 17 or 18 years old. Her hair was dark brown and her beach waves fell to just below her shoulder. She was wearing a white cropped hoodie with the word ‘FRIENDS’, a pair of black high waisted leggings and some black and white Nike running shoes. She wasn’t that tall but she wasn't that short either. Even through the darkness the boys could see her deep blue eyes as she stood there frozen, like a deer caught in headlights.

Alex cleared his throat. She clearly wasn't expecting it as she jumped when he did. “Mind telling us who you are?” Alex said. “And more importantly, why you are hiding in the bushes of our studio.”

“Oh, ya, hi! I’m Ella. Ella Hawke.” the girl said.

“Hi, I’m Alex and this is-” Alex starts before getting cut off.

“Luke. Ya, I know.” Ella finishes, only realizing how creepy that sounded when she saw the confused look on their faces. “I- um- I was a huge fan of Sunset Curve back in the 90s. I actually had tickets to see your show at the Orpheum the night you… you know”

“Really you're a fan?” Luke asked excitedly.

“Ya! You guys were really good. I was devastated when I heard the news.” answered Ella.

“Ya, Alex was too. He cried in a room for 25 YEARS!” he laughed.

“Okay… can we get back to why you are hiding in the bushes?” Alex asked nervously.

“Oh, about that… there's a story there. It's just really long,” she chuckled nervously.

“Well, we want to hear it,” Alex said in his most serious voice. Luke almost laughed but remembered that a random girl they didn't know was hiding in the bushes outside the studio and stayed quiet.

“A couple months after you guys died I got into a really big argument with my parents. They did not support what I wanted to do with my life and kicked me out of the house. They told me that if I wanted to throw my life away, I could figure out on my own how much a stable job is needed.” Ella sighed.

“I’m really sorry. I know how that feels and it sucks,” Luke said sincerely.

“Thanks. Anyway I packed up my stuff and left because there was no way I was going to stay there. Even if I changed my mind and decided to get a stable job, there would always be tension between me and my parents. I didn't really know where to go so I decided to get on a bus and see where it takes me. Apparently the bus took me to death. I passed out and when I woke up, I was back in my room. I wasn't sure, but I had a gut feeling I was dead and when I tried to open my room door and my hand passed right through the door knob and my suspicions were confirmed. I was a ghost.” Ella took a breath. “Fast forward 25 years, I was going for a walk down Sunset boulevard and I heard some people on the street talking about this new band in town called Julie and the Phantoms. Me still being completely into music decided to search them up, and I was surprised to see the 3 dead members from Sunset Curve in a new band with a teenage girl.”

“How did you search us up?” Alex asked.

“Easy. A couple years ago I decided it would be easier to keep on top of things in the music world if i had access to the internet, so I stole a phone from the apple store. It's really easy to be a thief when no one can see you cand you can just poof places.” answered Ella.

“I guess that makes sense. Seems like with more years of experience as a ghost you get more comfortable with breaking lifer rules,” Alex thought of how weird it felt breaking into the museum while Willie made it seem like an everyday activity. “You can continue your story now,” Alex added after a moment of silence.

“Right. So I searched you up and really enjoyed your new sound. The bond between the band was so captivating, especially the chemistry between Luke and the lead singer. At that point I knew I had to see you guys perform live again. I was at your performance at the Orpheum and I wanted to introduce myself so I followed you back here. But then the girl came to the studio and I hid just in case. I mean if she can see you, who's to say she can’t see me. But when she left I decided tonight was not the night to introduce myself so I went to leave but you heard me and I figured why hide now.”

They stood there for a while, no one really knowing what to say. Ella was freaking out that now that she has shared her story they would think that she is some creepy stalker and never want to talk to her again. 

Luke and the other hand had a completely different idea. He never knew he could relate to anyone as much as he did with Ella. Everyone who really knew what happened between him and his parents were understanding and just listened when he needed to talk. But Ella has actually experienced what he went through. Obviously it was different with her because her parents kicked her out and he ran away, but she still knows what it feels like when your parents refuse to let you do what you love. 

“Wow. You really are a Sunset Curve fan for life, and I guess afterlife too,” said Luke, breaking the silence that loomed over the group.

“Well, looks like I’m now a ride or die Julie and the phantoms fan,” claimed Ella happily.

“It will be nice having someone to talk to after our performances while Julie talks to managers and her family,” Alex shrugged. He'd never really enjoyed being alone which is why he was so happy to find Willie because he now has someone to hang out with since Reggie likes hanging out with Ray and Luke is ALWAYS with Julie. ‘He needs to just man up and tell her how he feels. It's obvious she likes him too. The worst thing she can do is say that it's hard to have a relationship with a ghost that no one else can see and they carry on how they are, practically dating without the labels.’

“I guess we'll be seeing you at the gig on Friday?” Luke asked even though he already knows the answer.

“Wouldn't miss it. Make sure you bring your best, there was this band I used to know called Sunset Curve. They were really good, I don't know how you could ever be better than them.” She winked at him then turned to walk away.

“Bring it on!” Luke yelled at her. She smiled then poofed away.

Luke and Alex walked back into the studio and were about to go to sleep. 

Luke whispered into the darkness, “Ella seems really nice. I feel like she and Julie would get along really well.”

“I don't know about that. They would probably be fighting all the time” replied Alex.

“About what?” Luke was confused. ‘Ella is a lot like Julie. She loves music that not even death would stop her from making sure she knew everything that's going on in the music world. They would have so much to talk about, why would they be fighting?’

“Oh Luke,” Alex sighed. “I think that's something you are going to have to figure out on your own.” ‘He really thinks 2 girls who have major crushes on him and are terrible at hiding it will get along? Poor Lukie, he has a lot to learn.’

\-----------------------------------

The next morning Luke poofed into Julie's bedroom. He wanted to talk about the set list for their gig on Friday. He had a few ideas but he wanted to get Julie's opinion. The guys told him he could wait until band practice but he wanted to do it now because if he was being honest with himself, he wanted to test the ability to touch Julie when it was just them and the guys couldn't make fun of him for it. 

When he got there, her room was empty. He figured she had just gone to Flynn’s and didn't want to wake them up just to tell them something they could figure out on their own easily. He was about to poof back into the studio when something caught his eye.

It was a piece of paper sticking out from under Julie's pillow. It was a piece of paper torn from her notebook. He was about to put it back because if Julie put it under her pillow it was because she didn't want him to see it and he wanted to respect her boundaries. But just as he was putting it back, the title caught his eye. ‘Perfect Harmony?’ his curiosity got the best of him and he unfolded the paper to reveal a finished song. ‘ Why would she hide a song from me? I thought we showed each other everything?’ 

As he read over the lyrics two things were obvious.   
1\. Julie wrote a love song  
2\. Julie hid the love song from Luke.  
But one thing that was not obvious was who the song is about.

He wanted to ask the guys if they knew but he couldn't. They would just yell at him for invading her privacy and wouldn't help him with his real problem.

It suddenly occurred to him how much he wanted the song to be about him. As much as he knew that they could never be together because HE’S NOT EVEN ALIVE and is only visible to her, he loved Julie. No matter how much he denied it to the guys there was no more denying it to his heart. He was so hopelessly in love with her.

He read over the song again and started thinking. ‘Could it be about me? These lyrics sound a lot like what I think of Julie’ there was one line stuck in his head and he can hear Julie's voice singing it to him.

We say we’re friends  
We play pretend  
We create  
Perfect harmony

His mind was racing. It was about him. It was about him. She had written a love song for him. If he had a heart, he'd swear it would have just burst out of his chest onto the paper he was holding.

He knew he was a ghost and she was a lifer. That relationship could never work. But he wanted to try. He would do anything to at least have a chance at a life with Julie. So that's how he decided. He would sing perfect harmony for her. She may yell at him for invading her privacy, but if it is about him, he has no doubt she'll forgive him eventually.  
\-----------------------------------

That evening Julie got home from Flynn’s and headed straight to the studio for band practice. When she got there, Luke was just sitting on the couch. He had his guitar in his hands and a guitar pick in between his teeth. He was so focused on whatever song was written on the paper in front of him that he didn't notice Julie walk in. She walked cautiously over and sat on the couch next to Luke trying not to startle him, but that's really hard to do when approaching someone so deep into songwriting mode.

“What are you working on?” she said finally making her presence known. Surprised, Luke jumped at the sound of her voice. He quickly balled up the song he had been staring at and tried miserably to slyly hide the song.

“Oh, uh nothing,” he answered sheepishly. The doubt was obvious on her face.

“Come on, Luke. You know you can show me anything,” she pushed, clearly confused as to why she couldn't see this new song.

“You are one to talk,” he responded to quickly to realize how dumb that decision was.

Julie was completely caught off guard by his comment. “I- uh- what- what's that supposed to mean?”

‘Shoot.’ he had to think quickly to cover this one up. “Umm. nothing. Sorry, my mind was just too slow to catch my mouth,” she was clearly not convinced but decided not to push further. For now.

“Anyway, where are Reg and Alex? I thought we were going to have band practice,” said Julie, changing the subject.

“They went out to look for Willie. Alex wants to find him so he knows that we are alright and Reg went with him in case Caleb found out Willie helped us and he's in danger,” Luke really hoped that wasn't the case. He never wanted to deal with Caleb ever again. He decided not to think about that right now and focus on the positives. He got the whole night to just spend time with Julie alone. “So it's just going to be us tonight. I was thinking we could work on some new songs. I know you have to have some ideas brewing up in that genius brain of yours,” he grinned.

She blushed at the compliment. And that grin after was not helping to stop her heart from fluttering like crazy. ‘How is it legal to be that adorable?’ No. She needs to stay strong. She can't give in to these feelings. Flynn is right, the only thing that can lead to is heartbreak and that's the last thing she needs right now. But when he was looking at her like that, so expectantly, there was no saying no. She caved, “Sure.” His face lit up and for a minute she forgot how to breathe.

So that's how they spent the night. Bouncing song ideas back and forth for hours, only stopping so Julie could eat dinner but getting right back into the zone when she came back out. As the night went on they slowly started closing the gap between them on the couch and eventually she was practically sitting in his lap. Turns out the ability to touch each other was something to get used to and neither of them minded. If she realized how close they had gotten she didn't say anything and just stayed there, and he was perfectly okay with keeping her close so he didn't say anything that could make things uncomfortable and make her move away.

After a while their creative juices ran out and they were not making any more progress so they decided they should go to bed and get some rest. 

She stopped in the bathroom to get ready for bed on her way upstairs and when she was finally ready for bed she let out a loud sigh and face planted on her bed. She was exhausted and just wanted to go to sleep, but she promised Flynn she would talk to her after band practice. 

After talking to Flynn she was about to go to sleep but noticed that she had a text from Nick.

Nick: Hey. I'm having a really hard time studying for the history exam, think you could help me out with that?

Julie: Of course! I'm always happy to help. Does tomorrow work for you? You could come over tomorrow around noon if you want. Carlos is going to be with his friends all day and my dad has a big photoshoot tomorrow so it will be just us but he won't mind.

Nick: Sounds like a plan! You are a lifesaver. See you tomorrow :)

Julie: Goodnight!

Julie turned off her phone and drifted off to sleep. If she fell asleep going over ways for her and a certain brown haired guitar player to actually be a couple, well... she can't deny the truth.

\-----------------------------------

When Julie woke up she was a little disoriented. She passed out as soon as she closed her eyes and couldn't remember the last thing she did before going to sleep. She rolled over to grab her phone off her nightstand and was immediately reminded of her conversation with Nick. It was currently 11:15 now and Nick was coming at 12:00. That gave her just enough time to get up and have a quick shower before heading down stairs.

Julie walks into the kitchen to get a snack before Nick comes over and sees Luke standing at the fridge with the door open.

“You don’t even eat. Stop wasting our power to stare at food that you can’t eat,” she rolls her eyes. They really shouldn't have to have this conversation so many times, but she didn't really mind. It just meant more time she got to talk with Luke since the conversation about power usage usually melts into something in the blink of an eye.

“I just like looking at food,” he said, turning to face her. “It’s easier to imagine I’m eating it if I’m looking at food. Anyway, I was thinking we could have an extra band practice tonight. I feel like we should run over some of our new songs to make sure we have them down for the gig on Friday,” he knew she was kidding, but he still wants to prove to Ella that Julie and the Phantoms is way better than Sunset Curve. Because Julie and the Phantoms has Julie. And anything he gets to do with Julie is better than anything he did when he was alive.

She pushed past him to get to the fridge. All she wanted to do was eat a pb&j sandwich and take a quick nap before studying for exams with Nick. As much as she loves the band and spending time with them, especially Luke, an extra band practice is the last thing she needs to focus on right now. And they have had all the songs perfected for weeks, there is no reason to schedule another practice in the middle of exam week. ‘Unless there's something he's keeping from me about this gig.’

“I’m sorry. I would love to but it’s exam week and Nick asked if I could help him study, so I’m busy.” she turned to leave but he poofed in front of her. “Come on, Julie, please,” he begged. He doesn’t understand why she wouldn't want to practice. Everyone knows she's going to pass, one extra band practice isn't going to make her forget the hours and hours of studying she has done.

“I'm really sorry Luke, but I told dad school comes first and I can't break my promise.”

“Julie-,” he opened his mouth to argue that she was going to pass no matter what, but was interrupted by a knock at the door. Julie went to answer it and was greeted by Nick on the other side.

“Hey, Molina”

“Oh hey Nick. Come on in,” he stepped inside, and Julie led him to the dining room and told him to set up at the table while she grabbed them snacks. “Are you ready to study so you can ace that history exam?”

“I hope so,” he replied. “I really need to pass this exam, or my parents are going to make me quit the lacrosse team.”

“Well then, lets get studying,” she said in a chipper voice. She grabbed some crackers and put them in a bowl for her and Nick then turned around and walked right past Luke into the dinning room without even acknowledging that he was there.

As Luke watched this whole exchange there was only one thing going through his head: ‘Julie doesn't need to study, it's only Nick who needs to study. She's blowing me off for Nick?’ The thought hurt. He thought they were on the same page. He thought she knew how he felt. Well if she does, this was a clear sign that she didn't feel the same.

He felt like he should leave. Leave so he could give the lovebirds some space since he now knows that Perfect Harmony was obviously about Nick and not him, and she would rather spend time with him and not Luke. He felt like he should run as far away from his jealousy as possible and write his feelings in a song like he always does. But he couldn't. All he could do was just stand there, in the middle of the kitchen watching the love of his life (afterlife?) tutor some guy instead of playing music with him.

He finally came to his senses and left the pair to study. There was only one place he could go, only one person who could comfort him. Ella.

\-----------------------------------

He poofed out before he even had a chance to think about where exactly he was going.

He found himself on the beach not really knowing where to look for Ella. Somehow his mind guessed right. He saw Ella sitting on a bench watching families swim and play in the sand.

He walked over and sat down next to her. 

“Hey,” he said. Voice barely above a whisper.

“Hey,” she whispered back. “What brings you to the beach?”

“Looking for you, actually.” Luke said unsure if she was okay with it.

She quickly turned to face him. “Wait really? You were looking for me?”

“Ya, I guess,” he sighed. “You are just the only person who can actually relate to my problems with my parents and right now I just need someone who understands where I'm coming from. I now realize how this is really stupid because my current problem has nothing to do with my parents. But I still feel like you can do a good job distracting me for a while.”

“Well, I don't know what your problem is and I'm not going to ask because you seem like you could use a break,” she stopped and studied his face for a minute. Luke was just relieved she didn't ask about his problem because he really didn't feel like getting into a whole conversation about how he's in love with a lifer and thought she felt the same but found out she likes someone else. “Come on, lets go have some fun!”

They spent the entire day together running around the city and breaking a bunch of rules. They even stole Luke a phone so they could text each other instead of searching the whole city for the other when they wanted to meet up. Luke also invited her to come to band practice tomorrow, that way she could meet Julie. At the end of the day, they were on the same bench where Luke found her that morning, watching the sunset in a comfortable silence.

Luke was the one to break the silence. “I should head home. The guys are probably really worried about me.”

She stood up. “Ya, me too. Not that anyone is worried about me, but I like routines and I have some stuff to do tonight.” they were about to go their separate ways when she spoke up again. “Hey Luke?”

“Yeah?” 

“If you ever need someone to talk to about your parents or whatever you were dealing with today, or just want a distraction, I'm always around so just send a text or come find me. Like I said I like routines so you could probably find me here, the same you did this morning, any other day.” she stayed silent as she waited for him to reply.

“Thank you, Ella. That means a lot to me,” tears were building in his eyes. He is so lucky to have found someone who can relate to him more than he thought anyone could.

All she could do was smile at him and he smiled back. Then they both turned and poofed away.

\-----------------------------------

Luke poofs back into the studio with a smile on his face. Today had showed him that he can be okay without Julie. As much as he wanted to be with her, she didn’t want to be with him but now he felt okay with that. He could live his afterlife not being with Julie as long as he still had her as a friend and had other friends like Ella to help him get through it.

“Dude! Where have you been?” Reggie asked, very concerned about his friend.

“Sorry. I was hanging out with Ella all day,” Reggie looked confused so he continued. “Alex told you about the girl that we met the other night, right?”

Reggie caught on. “Oh ya her. Alex told me about her, somehow he left the detail of her name out,” he turned and slapped Alex.

“Ow! Dude, that hurts” he groans.

“Good. It was supposed to,” he turned back to Luke. “Anyway, you need to go talk to Julie, pronto.”

His heart leaped into his throat. What did he do this time? He hates when Julie was mad at him. It had been a miracle that they guys convinced Julie to forgive him after missing the dance, but he wasn’t sure he’d get so lucky this time. “What? Why? I thought she was studying with Nick all day?” That thought returned the anger and hurt he had felt earlier that day.

Alex told the story, “She was. He left just after dinner, because no one can say no to a Molina when they offer them dinner. Then she came out to the studio for band practice, and we waited a while for you to show up but you didn’t. She seemed pretty pissed that you didn’t and left to go inside.” 

Luke sighed. “Looks like I have some explaining to do.” 

With barely enough time to change his destination from Julie’s room to the hall outside Julie’s room he heard Alex and Reggie yell, “Make sure to knock this time!”

He reappeared just outside Julie’s room and he could hear her on the phone with Flynn. She sounded angry. He gulped. She was clearly furious at him for missing band practice. He really didn't want to walk into that room and face Julie right now, but the longer he waited to talk to her the angrier she would be.

She looked up from her phone when she heard a knock on the door and saw Luke's arm sticking through the door knocking from the inside. The guys had started using this technique so that when they knocked on her door she knew it was one of them and not her dad or Carlos. From the other side of the door he heard her say “I’m sorry, but it looks like I have to go. I'll talk to you later, Flynn. Bye!” he stood there for a minute then heard her again. “Come in.” 

He stepped through the door. He could do this. All he had to do was explain to her that he was jealous that she was spending time with Nick and not him and he went to hang out with his new ghost friend who he met the other day and didn't tell her about, without admitting his feeling for her and without her getting mad at him for keeping things from her. He’ll be fine... maybe.

“Hey,” his voice came out less than a whisper. 

“Where the hell were you today?” she screamed, lucky that neither Carlos or her dad had gotten home yet. ‘So much for gentil approach to get him to spill’ she thought to herself. She decided she might as well just go with it and continue, “Seriously Luke! After trying to get me to have an EXTRA band practice. You can't even show up to the scheduled one! I mean, you didn't even tell Reg and Alex where you went. You can't just worry me like that!”

That's when it clicked for Luke. “You- you were worried about me? That's all this is?”

“Well, that's not all this is,” she started hesitantly. “I mean I'm still mad that you bailed on band practice even after pushing for another one this morning. But you can't just poof away without saying anything or telling anyone where you were going and expect me to not be worried about you. It's just not like you to not even tell the guys where you are going. You are okay right? Caleb hasn't gotten to you again or anything?”

“Ya, Jules. Everything is fine. I promise. I'm sorry for worrying you,” his voice so soft the sound alone calmed her. She tried not to think about how he had just used her nickname. Only the people closest to her call her Jules, not even Reggie or Alex have started addressing her by her nickname. She especially tried to ignore the warmth that traveled through her body and how her heart stopped beating at how amazing her name sounded coming from his mouth in that soft, low voice.

She breathed a sigh of relief. “Okay good. So, want to tell me where you've been all day?”

He started scratching the back of his neck, “I’ve uh-” he stuttered. Julie couldn't help but wonder why she was so nervous. He's a ghost, it's not like she's going to yell at him if he broke rules. “I've been hanging out with a ghost me and Alex met the other day. I saw her at the beach, so I went and said hi and we ended up spending the entire day together. I guess we just lost track of time. Sorry”

“That sounds fun,” she tried her best to sound happy and put on her fake smile that she has used a lot when talking to someone about her mom, but it didn't reach her eyes. His words stung. He had spent the entire day with another girl instead of her. She has no right to feel this way. She had blown him off earlier that day which led to him hanging out with the other girl all day. But Julie wasn't even going to try denying her feelings for him anymore. How worried about him she was when she should have been angry scared her. But she was so neglective. He wanted to spend the day with her but she pushed him away, of course he would find someone else to spend it with. “Wait. You and Alex met her? Reggie wasn't with you?” 

“Ya. He was already asleep on the couch when we found her hiding in the bushes by the studio the night we played the Orpheum,” Luke explained.

“Why would a ghost be hiding in the bushes of my studio? She doesn’t work for Caleb right?” Julie started to panic. He said he’s fine but a stranger was hiding in the bushes of her garden, I mean that pretty suspicious.

“No. No, she doesn’t work for Caleb,” he reassured her. “Turns out she was a Sunset Curve fan back in the 90s and found out we were part of Julie and the Phantoms so she was hiding in the bushes waiting for a good time to introduce herself.” Relief flooded Julie. She could not go through seeing her boys getting hurt again. Especially not when things were looking really good for the band. 

“Good,” the relief clear in her voice. “So, what did you and…” Julie trailed off realizing she never got the ghost’s name.

“Ella” Luke supplied.

“So, what did you and Ella do all day that made you lose track of time?” She did her best to sound as sincere as possible but she’s not sure if she succeeded. 

Luke didn’t seem to notice and just answered her question. “A lot of things. We started the day just sitting on a bench by the beach watching families having a good time. Then we stole a phone so we can text each other if we ever want to meet up. We also talked a lot about life in the 90s, how different things are now. We talked about the gig on Friday and how she's excited to see us play again. We ended the day on the same bench we met up on this morning.”

“Fun,” her voice was small. ‘So there is something he was hiding from me about the gig.’ 

She couldn’t help the jealousy that spread through her. She sat on her hands to stop herself from doing something irrational that she’ll definitely regret.

Luke noticed the change in her behaviour and changed the subject. As much as he wanted to avoid this subject he’ll do anything to make sure Julie is not uncomfortable in any situation. “How was studying with Nick today?”

She chuckled remembering how much help Nick really needed. “It went okay. He really needed the help but I think I was able to help him enough to at least pass.”

The jealousy courses through his veins as naturally as blood. As long as she was happy right? That’s all he ever wants, is for her to be happy. Even if that means that they could never be together, at least he would be able to see her happy all the time. “The thought gave him a great idea for a song and Luke and Julie lapsed into songwriting mode and fell asleep curled up together in Julie’s bed after the long day and the emotional roller coaster they had been on that day.

\-----------------------------------

The following day, Ella was standing just outside the studio where she met Luke and Alex just a few days ago. She heard music coming from inside so she walked in hoping to find Luke.

Back in the 90s she had always found Luke the most attractive member of Sunset Curve, with his biceps on full display and that perfectly messy hair. But hanging out with his yesterday was so different. She saw a different side to him that wasn’t musically involved. She had to admit her feelings were no longer just thinking he’s hot, but that he was adorable and would care for her, give her everything she needs and more and overall just be the perfect boyfriend. 

But when she walked in Sunset Curve was nowhere to be found and the only person she saw was a teenage girl playing the piano and singing with the most angelic voice Ella had ever heard. 

When the song ended Julie looked up and jumped when she saw a girl she didn’t know standing in her moms studio watching her. She quickly came to her senses and realized that the girl must be Ella. “It’s Ella right? Sorry I was scared, I knew you were coming to the gig on Friday but I didn’t realize you were coming to practice.”

Ella stuttered for a minute. “You can see me? I mean I know you could see the boys but I didn’t know you could see other ghosts too.”

Julie just smiled. “Ya. It’s kind of a new development. At first I could only see the guys but after I saved them from being jolted out of existence the night we played the Orpheum, I’ve been able to see all ghosts. But I can still only touch the guys.”

“Oh- uh- cool.” Ella wasn’t the greatest at talking to new people. “So are the guys going to be here soon?”

“They should be. Luke says that band practice has to start at 5 o’clock sharp so that we can practice for an hour and a half before I have to eat dinner, then me and him can write for the rest of the evening until my dad makes me go to bed. He’s never missed a band practice,” she stopped. Then her voice got sharp as she continued, “Well that was until yesterday when he lost track of time hanging out with you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ella accused. “It’s not like I told him to miss band practice to hang out with me.”

Julie huffed. “Well, you probably would have, if you had known about band practice.”

“You just hate me because Luke wanted to hang out with me inst-“ Ella couldn’t finish before the guys poofed in. 

Luke took one look at their angered faces and approached the girls cautiously. “What’s going on? Everything alright?” 

“Well actually, Julie over here-“ Ella started when Julie interrupted.

“Ya, Luke. Everything’s fine. There’s nothing to worry about, let’s just practice. Okay?”

Luke still looked unsure but the calm in Julie’s voice was enough for him right now. He’d ask about it later though. He grinned, “Okay Jules.” She blushed. She couldn’t imagine ever getting used to Luke calling her Jules.

She shook her head to clear the daze she had been in. “What song are we going to show off first?” She glanced at Ella who just stood there.

Sure she and Luke had only known each other for a couple days while Luke had known Julie for longer. But he said he felt connected to her. At least that’s what she took out of their conversations. She really wasn’t expecting what she had to say to be blown off so easily by Luke only focusing on Julie.

When Luke looked at Julie all he wanted to do was to play his version of Perfect Harmony that he tinkered with but he knew he couldn’t. They weren’t alone in the studio, in fact there were 3 sets of eyes in them instead of just the 2 of their fellow bandmates. It wouldn’t do anything anyway. She wrote the song about Nick and it would result in him getting yelled at about boundaries by Julie and getting his heart broken.

“How about finally free?” Reggie finally suggested.

A chorus of yeses came from the rest of the band and they got right to work rehearsing. Ella mostly stayed quiet as she watched Julie and Luke’s chemistry when they sang together. ‘Of course he likes Julie. She’s the one who brought him back to earth and she’s just as into music as he is. Why did I ever think I had a chance with him?’ They went through most of their songs and a few new ones that Luke and Julie had been working on before Julie had to go eat dinner. 

As soon as Julie left the studio she could hear Ella praising the boys for how good they were. She groaned. ‘Just when things are getting good, Ella shows up and ruins everything.’ 

When she finishes eating she stays and listens to a few more stories about baseball told by Carlos before going upstairs. She was supposed to go back to the studio for a writing session with Luke but she just can’t face him right now. She just needs to let all of her emotions cool down and talk to him when she doesn’t feel like yelling at him about things he has no control over. 

She was lying in bed under the covers after changing into her pajamas, scrolling through Instagram before going to sleep. She heard a whoosh behind her and she knew exactly who it was.

“Hey,” she whispered so that her dad wouldn’t come in and think she’s crazy for talking to air.

“Hey,” he whispered back, sitting on the edge of her bed. “Why didn’ you come back out to the studio? I thought we were going to work on some of the songs that we started last night?”

“I’m sorry. I was just really exhausted and wasn’t in the songwriting mood,” she says hoping that she doesn’t disappoint him.

“I get it. Sometimes our thoughts are just too complicated to be turned into lyrics. You should get some sleep. Good night Julie.” He gives her a smile and is about to poof away but stops when he sees something out of the corner of his eye.

He turned to look and saw a vase of flowers sitting on her bookshelf. 

“Hey Julie?” He asked.

“Hmm?” She hummed in response, her attention turned back to her phone.

“When did you get the flowers?” Luke asked curiously. 

She looked up to see what he was talking about and saw the vase of flowers that Nick had gotten her when he came to congratulate her on performing the Orpheum and to ask her out for a second time. “Oh, those are just some flowers Nick bought me to congratulate us for playing the Orpheum and to ask me out.”

Of course. How didn’t he see it? It wasn’t that she just liked Nick, they were dating. “Now it all makes sense.”

“What?” She asked, having no clue what made sense to him now.

“Everything,” he replied easily. He could see the confusion on her face so he continued, “Why you gave up band practice to help Nick study when it wouldn’t benefit you at all and why you wrote an entire love song for him. He asked you out and you said yes.”

‘What? A love song for Nick? Wait! He didn’t-‘ then it dawned on her. “You think I wrote a love song for Nick?” 

He looked down. “I mean, he brought you flowers and asked you out. Then I found perfect harmony-“ 

“You went through my stuff!” She yelled as loud as she could without alerting her dad or Carlos. 

“That is not what happened,” Luke defended himself. “I just- I can’t do this right now!” He screamed then poofed away.

“Wait! Luke!” Julie pleads but he is already gone. ‘What just happened?’ She ran through what they had said. Luke found Perfect Harmony and thought it was about Nick because he thinks she and Nick are dating. She groaned. She really needed to talk to Luke but it was too late for her dad to let her go out to the studio but too early that he would catch her if she tried to sneak out. ‘Looks like that conversation will have to wait until morning.’ 

She fell into a restless sleep thinking about how wrong her next conversation with Luke could go.

\-----------------------------------

When she woke up the next morning she got ready and headed out to the studio hoping she could talk to Luke before going to school. When she walked into the studio Reggie and Alex were there but there was no sign of luke.

Reggie looked up from his base when he heard the doors open, “Hey Julie!”

“Hey Reg. Hey Alex.” She put her bag down and sat on the couch.

“Are you ready for school?” Alex asked, finally speaking up.

“Yeah,” Julie replied. “I have a couple extra minutes before Flynn picks me up, so I came out to say hi before I left. I was also hoping to talk to Luke,” Reggie and Alex grinned at each other, then Julie continued. “Do you know where he is?”

Alex shook his head, “No. No, we haven't seen him since last night. We figured you guys had gotten into songwriting mode and he fell asleep in your room again.” ‘I wish that's what happened.’ Julie thought to herself. Alex kept speaking, “Why?” 

Julie hesitated before answering his question. “He just left kind of angry last night and I was hoping we could talk about it. It's fine though. Just, if you see him, tell him I want to talk to him.”

“He usually goes to his parents house when he's upset. He’ll probably be home soon,” Alex decided to say instead of asking what he and Reggie are both thinking. ‘Everything seemed fine yesterday. What happened in those 10 minutes in Julie's room?’

“Yeah. We’ll talk to him for you,” Reggie reassured her. “Have a good day at school,” he said while handing her her school bag.

She gave each of the boys hugs before heading out to where Flynn was waiting at the bottom of her driveway.

\-----------------------------------

She got home from school and headed right to the studio. She expected it to be empty because the guys visited her at school and told her that they still had not seen Luke all day and that they were going to look for Willie again. But when she opened the studio doors, Luke was sitting on the couch playing a new song she hadn't heard before. There weren't any lyrics but she could tell it was a song about a heartbreak.

She stood there for a few seconds listening before deciding to make her presence known. She wanted to get this conversation over with as soon as possible and that can't happen with her just listening to Luke’s song. “It sounds great, Luke.” He shot up from where he was sitting.

“Oh, uh thanks,” he paused, not really knowing how to continue. He settled with asking about her day. “How was school?”

She shrugged, “Not bad. All my classes were boring, but dance class with Flynn and Nick was pretty fun.”

His smile immediately dropped and he looked away from her. “Right.”

She groaned. Did he really not see it. Has he really not realized how hopelessly in love with him she is. The way just his smile makes her heart flutter and can make her feel so much better. The way that when he's around nothing else in the entire world matters and her only focus is on him.

At that moment it didn’t matter if he felt the same or if he liked Ella, she just knew she needed to tell him how she feels.

“You know me and Nick aren’t dating right?” She asked slowly to make sure he heard her correctly.

“You- You aren’t? But- but I thought he asked you out,” he instinctively turned to look at her and quickly caught her gaze.

“He did,” a small smile appeared on her lips. “But I said no.”

“Why?” His confusion written all over his face. “I thought you liked him.”

She shook her head. “Luke,” she starts before taking his hand. She loves the warmth that shoots through her entire body from the feel of his hand in hers. “There is absolutely nothing to worry about. I’m so deeply in love with you I didn’t even think it was humanly possible to love someone this much. There is no other person in the entire universe I would rather spend my life with. I love you, Luke.”

They stared into each other’s eyes for a while, while Luke thought things over in his head. ‘How am I supposed to top that love confession?’

“I love you so much Jules it’s scary,” he paused to take a breath. “But at the same time it’s not scary at all because I know that this is meant to be. I know that we were meant to be.”

He reached out and placed one hand on her cheek and the other on her waist. He leaned down to kiss her and she met him halfway, standing on her toes with her arms around his neck playing with his hair.

Everything felt right. They knew there was so much more to talk about, with him being a ghost and all, and there were other conversations they each wanted to have, but they were perfectly happy just living in the moment in each other’s arms.


End file.
